Though the text of your call-to-action phrase is very important, getting the design just right is also crucial for marketers looking to increase conversions. It might not seem like details such as color, page placement and font could directly influence consumer behavior, but marketers who take a little bit of time to do some design testing and research can enhance the effectiveness of their call-to-action and actually boost conversions.
1. Inspire Action With Color
Research reported on by the Better Business Bureau found that color can have a huge effect on conversions, with one study finding that bold colors like orange and red can actually increase conversion rates by over 32 and 20 percent, respectively. Of course, practicality is important here, and obviously, you shouldn't go crazy turning your entire website red and orange in an effort to boost consumer action. Something you might want to do, however, is look for ways to add orange or red accents to your design, and use complementary colors to make sure calls-to-action stand out.
2. Evoke the Right Mood
In addition to inspiring action, color can also be used to evoke specific feelings. The Better Business Bureau notes that, for instance, soft shades of blue are often used by financial institutions to help consumers feel secure, and black can be used by high-end brands to denote luxury. Though there's no "magic bullet" color scheme that will automatically guarantee success, you can try playing around with your color scheme through A/B testing and see what results you get. Even the slightest color changes can have a positive effect on conversion rates, so it's worth testing out.
3. Change Up Your Style
Much like color, font sizes can affect consumer perception. Call-to-action text should be large and bold, but not overwhelming. All-caps can be used for short calls-to-action (like "SUBMIT"), but anything longer than one word should use title case ("Submit Now"), so it doesn't look like the call-to-action is "shouting" at the consumer.
4. Give It a Close Read
Think about your typeface and what you're trying to get across. Experimental type studio Type Tasting tells the story of graphic designer and typography expert Sarah Hyndman and her quest to prove the profound influence of typeface. At the end of her talk, she does a demonstration to show how looking at different typefaces can cause one jelly bean to taste sweeter than an identical one.
5. Stay on Top of Page Placement
Conventional wisdom states that having a call-to-action "above the fold" (meaning in the top portion of your website, generally in the uppermost 600 pixels, before a user has to scroll) will yield the best results when it comes to conversions. However, while this may be true in many cases, it certainly isn't a hard-and-fast rule. According to Bannersnack, it's not that simple — the button belongs wherever you want the customer to take action. While some strategic A/B testing may show that above the fold is still most effective in a majority of cases, it's important not to write off alternative placement altogether, especially if it makes more sense for your product or market. This is a good rule of thumb to follow throughout your call-to-action redesign — and in any design choices for your brand.
